By Ju Ran
BEIJING – During this year’s Two Sessions, the annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Zhang Shuibo, the dean of the School of International Project Management at Tianjin University and an NPC deputy, emphasized the urgent need to enhance the local teaching staff at Luban Workshops.
Luban Workshop, a renowned Chinese vocational education brand, has played a crucial role in meeting the technical needs of countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) while promoting practical Chinese skills as a technological hub within the BRI framework.
China has already established numerous Luban Workshops in over 20 BRI countries, including Pakistan. “However, significant differences in language, culture and educational standards among these cooperating countries have resulted in a shortage of Chinese professionals capable of teaching in foreign languages. With the growing number of Luban Workshops, the demand for highly qualified teaching staff has become more pronounced.” Zhang Shuibo said.
Zhang Shuibo suggested that the Ministry of Education and other relevant departments take the lead in formulating teacher qualification standards for Luban Workshops. He also advocated for standardized training for teaching staff from overseas cooperative institutions and the issuance of special qualification certification for Luban Workshop teachers, both domestic and foreign.
In recent years, Luban Workshops have achieved remarkable results in Pakistan, nurturing talents in fields such as agricultural machinery and electrical automation. Luban Workshop courses have been integrated into the vocational training curriculum system of Punjab Province in Pakistan. It is expected that an increasing number of young Pakistanis will benefit from Luban Workshops in the future.
